The widespread legalization of sports wagering has regrettably coincided with a surge in online harassment directed at athletes, who increasingly face abuse while competing in their respective disciplines.
Fanatics Sportsbook, recognized as one of the fastest-growing sports betting platforms in the United States, is actively addressing this escalating issue through a significant new partnership announced recently.
The company has joined forces with Integrity Compliance 360, Inc. (IC360) and Signify Group to roll out the Bad Actor Program. This initiative is specifically designed to curb the growing online hostility targeting athletes across various social media platforms.
This crucial step toward safeguarding the well-being of all participants in the legal sports betting ecosystem is scheduled to commence with the start of the U.S. football season, coinciding with the beginning of college football in late August.
IC360 will collaborate with Signify Group’s Threat Matrix service to diligently monitor multiple social media platforms for any abusive or threatening content directed at athletes, sports organizations, and teams. If such problematic behavior and threats are detected, the individuals responsible for these accounts will be enrolled in IC360’s ProhiBet Bad Actor program.
This system operates similarly to IC360’s established ProhiBet platform, which is used to prevent athletes, coaches, and trainers from placing wagers. The newly introduced Bad Actor program will empower sportsbooks to restrict betting activities by those identified as threatening athletes and coaches.
"This groundbreaking program will hold bettors accountable for threats made against players, coaches, and officials," stated Matt King, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming. "It falls in line with our core values at Fanatics — respect and tolerance for the athletes and coaches that play the games that we love. We encourage other operators to join the initiative because there is no sports betting potential loss that should embolden a sports betting customer to threaten or harass an athlete online."
Furthermore, as part of Threat Matrix’s comprehensive monitoring of global sports competitions, athletes and officials will be encouraged to report any abusive direct messages they receive, thereby expediting the identification process. Upon submission, Signify will analyze these reports, evaluate the severity of the messages, and escalate serious incidents to its in-house specialists for thorough investigation. Should the behavior cross a criminal threshold, appropriate law enforcement agencies will be contacted.
Fanatics Sportsbook also maintains a strict policy of suspending or permanently terminating customer accounts if it is determined that they have engaged in any form of abusive, threatening, defamatory, or harassing conduct toward sports officials, players, or coaches. The sportsbook enforces a zero-tolerance stance against bettors who engage in threatening behavior, and the Bad Actor program further reinforces this core principle of the company.
"Threats of violence and harassment in sports at arenas and on social media are increasing at an alarming rate, undermining the integrity of the sports betting industry," commented Scott Sadin, co-CEO of IC360. "Addressing the individuals with ProhiBet Bad and Threat Matrix is crucial to protecting athletes and other stakeholders from serious, long-term harm."
Numerous athletes have previously come forward, sharing direct messages containing threats, vulgar language, and other forms of abuse from sports bettors. For instance, Arthur Bouquier, who was ranked No. 219 in men’s tennis globally at the time, disclosed a disturbing message he received in 2025. In this message, a bettor who had lost a wager declared, "I will come after you."
"French tennis is so mediocre right now that French players stick to playing at home to avoid embarrassment abroad," read the message sent to Bouquier. "Let me remind you that you don’t achieve much when you leave France – it shows the limits of your tennis game.
"I swear, if you lose, I will never forgive you. I will track you and your family down just to hurt you, even if it means going to prison. Might as well, because if I lose these 2000 euros, I’ll be on the streets, so my life won’t make sense anymore – I might as well spend my days in prison."
Fanatics Sportsbook anticipates that the Bad Actor program will effectively deter and penalize abusive online offenders, while simultaneously assuring those involved in the sports world that measures are in place to identify individuals who overstep boundaries and address them appropriately.
As King emphasized, Fanatics Sportsbook hopes that other operators within the sports betting industry will adopt similar measures to uphold the integrity of this continuously evolving sector.
